


Old Dogs

by ForcedSimile



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Injury, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 08:32:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3202595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForcedSimile/pseuds/ForcedSimile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She wanted the first thing he saw to be her scowling face. Maybe, just maybe he'd think twice about rushing into a Titan's mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Dogs

Nanaba dragged the chair from Mike's bedside to the foot and stationed herself there. His injuries were confirmed to be minor, a slight head injury that knocked him out for a bit. But she wanted the first thing he saw to be her scowling face. Maybe, just maybe he'd think twice about rushing into a Titan's mouth. It was a few hours before he woke up and by the time he did open his eyes, the best she could do was roll her eyes. He only returned her sour expression with a lopsided grin.

“Hey, Nanaba. What did I miss?” he asked.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she said.

He grimaced. “I'm not sure I understand...”

She gripped the foot of the bed and clenched her teeth. “You may be one of the strongest two people in the world, but you can't just send the kids away to cover me, leaving yourself wide open!”

It was Mike's turn to roll his eyes. “I can handle it. You know I can.”

She dragged the chair to his side and slammed it on the ground. She didn't even sit on it, she put one knee on the bed and jabbed her finger against his chest.

“You are human like the rest of us. They saw you were already injured and they still ran to my side at your command. Why the hell did you do that?” she said.

He grabbed her hand. She didn't stop frowning, but she was a little unnerved when he stroked her knuckles. She sat on his bed and some of the anger died at his touch.

“My Right Hand is so small,” he said.

She snorted. “Not it's not.” She spread her palm against his. His fingers easily curled over hers. “See?”

“No. I mean you. You're my Right Hand and you're so small,” he said. She glared, but the way his shoulders sloped made her heart break. “People like to protect small things. Kittens, puppies, children. We always protect the small.”

“I'm a soldier, Mike. I don't need protection,” she said. He put his hand on her shoulder.

“We're afraid of things that are big. We kill things that are big. Titans. Old dogs. We kill them. Big things have to look out for themselves,” he said.

“Mike...” she whispered. She closed her eyes and put her hand over his. “We had a lot of dogs growing up. One was my favorite, he was our biggest dog, he was tall as I was. He protected us from an intruder and he broke his leg. It never healed right and he couldn't do the same things he used to do. We couldn't use him anymore, we had other dogs. My dad took him out back and shot him. I cried for weeks. I still miss him. I don't shoot my big, old dogs, Mike.”

“So...what do you do with your big dogs then?” he asked, his hand now on her neck. She guided his hand to her cheek and she couldn't help but smile.

“Every dog is a puppy inside. All puppies like to be hugged and cuddled and I like to cuddle right back,” she said.

The tenderness as he ran his thumb along her bottom lip made her inhale sharply. “I'm your squad leader,” he said softly.

“I don't cuddle my squad leader,” she whispered. “Only my giant puppy dog.” He put his head on her shoulder. “Should you be doing that?”

He grunted. “What does your giant puppy look like?”

She snorted. “He's got pretty, floppy, golden fur and the best nose.”

“Really? He doesn't shed?”

“Only when he gets his hair cut.”

“Does he give you dog kisses or anything?”

“Not yet. He's a shy one.”

Mike rubbed his cheek against hers and she leaned into his caress. The feel of his beard against her cheek was more inviting than she cared to admit.

“Maybe he's just not sure if you'd like a kiss or not,” he whispered in her ear.

“Well, I would,” she said softly.

As soon as she had given permission, he gently pressed his lips against hers. She smiled into the kiss, his mustache tickled her a bit, but it only made her move closer, so she could get a better angle to caress his lips. He held the back of her head as she wrapped her arms around his neck and she tilted her head so she could deepen the kiss, which Mike was all to eager to respond to. But they couldn't be like this for long. She pulled away and bit her lip aware of Mike's eyes, searching her face for a reaction.

She smiled and put both her hands on either side of his face. “You are worth protecting. Even if everyone thinks you're so strong, you still need protection sometimes. Because I...”

She'd alluded to too much. He now knew too much. She moved to get way, but he held her hand. Not too hard, but it was enough to make her stop.

“Please...you said you cuddled with your puppy,” he said. She grinned and took off her jacket and boots.

“All right,” she said. She sat on the bed and he put his head on her lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, careful not to upset the bandages around his head. “Should you be laying like this?”

“Don't care,” he said. She shook her head. Mike was much too big to be curled up in her lap like this. But he had such a contented look, she couldn't turn him away. So she made plans in her head to make more opportunities like this for him.

Because protecting each other was what you did when you loved someone.

**Author's Note:**

> I got nothing. I just wanted Mike to curl up on Nanaba's lap.


End file.
